Description of capability
- Kuba Anglin proposes creating small, modular neutron generators based on Nuclear fusion that provide on-demand production of Medical isotopes.
- You’d place them near hospitals, inside hospitals, or on wheels.
- Enables customization to create different isotopes. Includes making a proton source instead of a neutron source.
- Proposed technology roadmap:
- Beam-target fusion: Deuteron beam hits a tritium target (stored in a metal hydride). Shine Technologies is already doing this. But could improve upon this: maybe you load cobalt up with tritium. Maybe you cool it with a cryostat to 4 K for higher efficiency.
- Beam-beam fusion. Shoot a deuteron beam and a triton beam in the same place. You could use HTS magnets to focus the beam.
- Next steps: target design:
- Titanium hydride with tritium embedded (to create neutrons).
- 20% enriched uranium to receive the neutrons and make the medical isotope precursors. Also makes plutonium, though…
- The separation to get pure Mo-99 is “really easy” step according to Kuba.
Key people
Technology Readiness Level (1-9)
2
Needs that this could potentially address
Tech specs
Unknown
Estimated time & cost to commercialize
Unknown
Outstanding risks
- Regulatory and safety